Buffalo WZR-HP-G300N wireless router

Last month I spotted a Fatwallet deal for the Buffalo WZR-HR-G300N gigabit wireless N router ($60 from Amazon with free Prime shipping) that I couldn’t pass up. I didn’t have any wireless N clients and wasn’t having any real problems with my four year-old Buffalo WHR-HP-G54 wireless router (running DD-WRT), but hey, cheap new tech, right?

Back in 2009 I had jumped on a similar deal and snagged a Buffalo WHR-G300N wireless N router for $35. After getting it all set up with DD-WRT, though, I discovered that with the lack of external antennas and no high-power radio the wireless signal wasn’t strong enough to cover my entire house like the WHR-HP-G54 was currently doing. Since I had effectively voided the warranty by flashing DD-WRT onto the router, I kept it for use as a switch in my office (and am still using it today, in fact).

I was hoping that the three antennas (two external, one internal) and high-power radio in the WZR-HR-G300N would do the job of replacing my WHR-HP-G54 plus give me a gigabit switch in the computer closet. I was also excited because Buffalo now included their own branded version of DD-WRT (they call it the “professional” firmware) on the router, so no more voided warranty issues!

Things never go as planned, though.

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Universal’s Rip Ride Rockit rip-off

This past weekend I rode the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster for the first time at Universal Studios Orlando and really enjoyed it. I didn’t know anything about it before riding, so that first experience was really cool. You get to pick your own music from a selection of about 30 tracks and then rock out while you ride (I chose The Crystal Method’s “Keep Hope Alive”). After getting off the coaster, instead of the traditional screens showing a captured photo for purchase, I found an interactive kiosk that played back video of me on the ride. Each car has a video camera that records you on the coaster along with the music you selected.

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Home from Universal; a Disney comparison

Normally we spend the morning of Labor Day in the hotel pool but since we already had some pool time yesterday, we checked out early and bid farewell to Universal Studios. We had breakfast at First Watch (I tried the new bacon/cheddar pancakes, which were different, but surprisingly good) and then killed some time at Downtown Disney (to keep the Labor Day weekend/Disney tradition alive).

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Universal, Labor Day Weekend 2011 – Day 2

We got up early this morning to take advantage of the early (8am) opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure for hotel guests. Of course almost every other hotel guest was doing the same thing, but since there are only a few Universal hotels, the crowd was still manageable.

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ActionTec ECB2200 MoCA adapters

I’ve been having issues with my Netgear MoCA adapters lately and since they are now out of warranty (no more free replacements) I decided to look into other manufacturers. I picked up two used ActionTec ECB2200 adapters on eBay for a good price, figuring this way I would have spares if (when) these Netgear units die again.

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WebOS is dead … long live, er — uh, nevermind

Today, just six short months since announcing a slew of new WebOS devices, hp announced they are discontinuing the entire WebOS line. The successor to PalmOS and its related devices like the Pre just never took off and the TouchPad was pretty much dead-on-arrival, crushed by the iPad only 49 days after its release. It’s a sad end to a long, (relatively) proud line of Palm devices, dating back to the original Pilot 1000 in 1996. I can’t really mourn the death of hp/Palm devices though … since switching from my Treo 680 to the iPhone almost two years ago I never considering going back.

But …

HP’s press release doesn’t say that WebOS is dead. The wording instead suggests that the company will find some ways to extract value from its $1.2 billion Palm purchase, even if phones and tablets are off the table. In fact, according to a report yesterday in the Wall Street Journal, HP plans to expand webOS to household appliances and automobiles.

So while you may not be using WebOS on your new smartphone, you might be using it to wash your clothes. 😉